Development of the health system in Iran

Abstract

This article examines the development of the health care system in Iran in the period after the “Islamic Revolution” (1979). The author aims to use factual material to show the contemporary nature of the health care system of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), which has implemented a number of important reforms over the past 40 years. The most important reform was the formation of the national health network in 1983, which aimed to reduce inequalities and increase access to health care for the population in disadvantaged areas of the country. Health services and medical education had been integrated, a health insurance reform had been carried out, which had contributed to progress towards universal health insurance coverage, a family physician programme and a hospital autonomy policy had been implemented. Iran was one of the few countries that provided comprehensive health insurance for refugees on the same basis as for its own citizens. Despite the achievements of Iran’s family planning programme, which aimed not only to establish an effective population policy but also to improve overall socio-economic indicators, attitudes towards it have been mixed at different points in Iran’s recent history. Despite its dependence on imported raw materials, Iran has developed a fairly well-developed medical industry, which enabled the country to become an exporter of pharmaceutical products. Iran has achieved impressive progress in the sphere of medical tourism, occupying leading positions in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, as well as Transcaucasia. The Iranian national health network system had been effective in providing a unique framework for the delivery of primary health care in rural areas, which had contributed to the overall improvement of the country’s health indicators. Conclusion. The article provides a proper assessment of the level of health care development in Iran for expanding Russian-Iranian cooperation in this field.